1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a method for monitoring a hearing device comprising an electro-acoustic output transducer worn at a user's ear or in a user's ear canal. The invention also relates to such a hearing device having self-monitoring function. According to another aspect, the invention relates to a method for adjusting a behind-the-ear hearing device and also to such an adjustable behind-the-ear hearing device.
2. Description of Related Art
Ear-worn hearing devices, such as hearing aids (which have an integrated microphone system) or wireless systems (which comprise a remote audio signal source, such as a remote microphone, and an ear-piece receiver) usually comprise an electro-acoustic output transducer (loudspeaker) which is located in or at least close to the ear canal. This applies particularly to in-the-ear (ITE) or completely in-the-canal (CIC) systems. However, also behind-the-ear (BTE) systems have a tubing extending from the loudspeaker (which in this case is located behind the ear) into the ear canal. A frequent problem of such ear-worn hearing devices is that the performance of the loudspeaker may be significantly deteriorated due to blocking with ear wax (cerumen) from the ear canal.
It is known to use special wax filters in order to protect the loudspeaker for preventing the loudspeaker from getting blocked by wax. However, none of these wax filters is capable of providing for a full protection from wax blocking.
If the loudspeaker performance is deteriorated by wax blocking, the user may not immediately notice this. This may be particularly true for systems used by children, since they usually have much more difficulty in noticing and communicating problems regarding the hearing device.
European Patent Application EP 1 276 349 B1 relates to a hearing aid with a self-test capability, wherein the hearing-aid automatically undergoes a self-test procedure for determining whether the hearing aid comprises a defect. The hearing aid is capable to indicate the presence and the type of defect to the user, for example, on the display of a programming device connected to the hearing aid for service purposes. During the self-test procedure it is checked whether each of the hearing aid microphones produces a signal. From the absence of such signal it is concluded that the input port to the respective microphone has been occluded by ear wax.